Just a word of caution to those who might be thinking of joining some national and international martial arts organizations..There are a number of instructors advertising memberships to unsuspecting instructors and students....some of these organizations advertise that their head instructor to be 10th degree black belts.

While this is certainly possible ( not likely ) , they are often self promoted , or promoted by their own instructors.

If you think this doesn't happen, I will estimate that at least half of all high ranking instructors 8th degree and above , got their rank this way.

Just a word of caution to those who might be thinking of joining some national and international martial arts organizations..There are a number of instructors advertising memberships to unsuspecting instructors and students....some of these organizations advertise that their head instructor to be 10th degree black belts.

While this is certainly possible ( not likely ) , they are often self promoted , or promoted by their own instructors.

If you think this doesn't happen, I will estimate that at least half of all high ranking instructors 8th degree and above , got their rank this way.

Wait, you mean there's unethical people in the martial arts who'd inflate their own rank and pad their resumes just to make some money? I never saw that one coming.

How did you get to your half of all high ranking black belts are self promoted estimate?

And so what if they are? If they're teaching you something that's valuable to you and aren't overcharging you for it, what difference does it make if they claim white belt or 1 millionth dan? The information isn't different.

I'll stick my head out and say this...in my 40 years in the arts, I'd personally estimate that phony 9-10th dan "masters" is well OVER half of them, especially in the US. I'd bet it's more like the 80%+ range.

But I guess if you start your own style, you can make yourself any rank you want...right? That's why you see 30-something year old 9-10th dans.

Do they have the skills or experienc to back up the rank? Of course not...but they aren't breaking any laws, so why not.

Oh, by the way, I'd like to announce that I started my own system just today..and I'm now a 15th Dan ULTRAMASTER (Chrome belt) of the martial arts!

ALL HAIL THE GREAT, AND POWERFUL MONTANA!!! _________________If you don't want to stand behind our troops, please..feel free to stand in front of them.

Student since January 1975---4th Dan, retired due to non-martial arts related injuries.

I'll stick my head out and say this...in my 40 years in the arts, I'd personally estimate that phony 9-10th dan "masters" is well OVER half of them, especially in the US. I'd bet it's more like the 80%+ range.

But I guess if you start your own style, you can make yourself any rank you want...right? That's why you see 30-something year old 9-10th dans.

Do they have the skills or experienc to back up the rank? Of course not...but they aren't breaking any laws, so why not.

Oh, by the way, I'd like to announce that I started my own system just today..and I'm now a 15th Dan ULTRAMASTER (Chrome belt) of the martial arts!

Quoth a wise man I met once in a past life: self-evaluations are always biased, even when done in good faith. Dishonest people will often elevate themselves with lies or exaggerations if there is any adavantage from doing it.

If I started my own style, I'd wear a black belt. No dan stripes on it, no dan level certificate. I'd "let" my students rank me after I was dead. I figure after I'm dead, it won't make any difference to me, only them.

Then again, Sosai JR of JR Kwon Do (ripoff of Rex Kwon Do) has a nice ring to it. If Oyama's title was Sosai, why should mine be any different?

Now back to reality...

Then again, who ranked these living legends, recently deceased legends, and the founders anyway? I guess if you've got the status of a guy like Fumio Demura, Mas Oyama, Joko Ninomiya or the like, no one's going to criticize your self promotion. Did anyone have the guts to ask Oyama who promoted him to 9th dan when he was alive?

I think it's rare to see 9th and 10th Dan masters now; at this level you are very old/elderly.

6th, 7th and 8th Dan senior ranks are very commendable.

There are a lot of fake black belts in the UK too who self promote; this is absurd. In my eyes, this is a disrespectful gesture to genuine senior ranks and the art._________________“Spirit first, technique second.” – Gichin Funakoshi